News Photo by Darby Hinkley Chapter Eight Book Club members met on March 8 at Maggie Michaud’s home in Alpena. Pictured standing from left are Jo Oke and Maggie Michaud. Seated from left are Gerry Cawthra, Bobbi Zubi, and Audrey Heath.

ALPENA — Can you really ban a book?

And if you do, doesn’t that just make it more desirable?

A small group of Alpena women read and discuss banned books each month in the Chapter Eight Book Club. Started in June 2000, the club was meant to provide an outlet for discussing books that have been banned over the years. Currently, the group has a list of over 100 books that have been banned for various reasons by various organizations. They read one each month and meet at one of their homes to discuss it over cookies and coffee.

“Who has the right to ban books?” asked Chapter Eight member Josi Cameron. “It just makes me want to read them.”

Some books on the list include “The Holy Bible,” “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, “1984” by George Orwell, and many more.

The late Phyllis Manitz initiated the book club, modeled after a book club she had participated in while in Florida. She had assistance from Dolly Zeller in the beginning. Both women have since passed, as have several other charter members of the club: Peggy Manier and Janet Pfeiffenberger. Marj Brandenburg was a charter member and is now on the emeritus list as of October 2019. Audrey Heath was a charter member and is now a member emeritus since June 2022. Former members include Val Beatty and the late Carol Mundorf.

Current members include Kay Beland, who was a charter member, Maggie Michaud, who joined in August 2004, Cameron, who joined in April 2016, Bobbi Zubi, who joined in July 2016, Gerry Cawthra, who joined in July 2017, and Jo Oke, who joined in June 2022.

The club never has more than eight people to keep it small and allow everyone ample time to share.

“I think we’re taking a stand as older women, not all of us, but most of us, in this book club, in terms of being opposed to banning books,” said Zubi, who hosted the February meeting at her Alpena home. “I’m hearing more about this happening across the country.”

“I hear about it more now, which is kind of surprising, when you consider that if you listen to music or watch television, it’s kind of shocking, some of the images you see and the things you will hear,” said Oke. “The idea of banning books, I could be wrong, but it seems like it might be an example of how politically divided we are. One side doesn’t want certain things said, heard, or written, and the other side kind of agrees, because of the polarization.”

“I think it contributes to the dumbing down of America, and I find that very offensive and insulting,” Michaud said about banning books in general. “It just enrages me to think that somebody is going to tell me what I can and can’t read. I just refuse to accept that.”

“I think it’s a control issue,” Heath added.

“Who thinks they have a right to tell me what I want to read or don’t want to read?” Cawthra asked. “If I start a book and don’t particularly care for it, I don’t read it. If I want to read a book, I’m going to read it. I don’t care what someone else thinks.”

March is Reading Month, and Women’s History Month, so it’s the perfect time to pick up a banned book by a female author and find out what you can learn.